Come Undone
by drotuno
Summary: He shouldn't want to touch, but he did – every time she was in his bar. She should be focused on college, but he was all things dangerously sexy and charming. Who do you need, who do you love when you come undone? Written for Babies at the Border. E/B rated M
1. Chapter 1

**A/N… Hey guys, so this is the story I wrote for the Babies at the Border compilation. All told, I believe the final total we'd brought it was somewhere around $13,000. Helluva number and quite the success. I was happy and proud to be a part of it. I was also happy that my muse worked long enough to get it done. (I can't say much for anything else I'm trying write.)**

 **Anyway, I'm posting it in three short-ish chapters, which is how I saw it when I wrote it. And they'll go up all at once. There may be a future chapter to this, but not right away.**

 **This is the only A/N I'll post until the end. I'll let you get to it.**

 **OH! Yes, this was a reference to the Duran Duran song by the same name. However several songs were kinda/sorta referenced in this story. Have fun…**

 **~oOo~**

 **Babies at the Border Fiction Compilation**

 **Title: Come Undone**

 **Author: drotuno**

 **Fandom: Twilight – Pairing: Edward/Bella**

 **Beta: Jenny Rarden**

 **Banner by: Bethany Tullos**

 **Rating: M**

 **Summary:** He shouldn't want to touch, but he did – every time she was in his bar. She should be focused on college, but he was all things dangerously sexy and charming. Who do you need, who do you love when you come undone?

 **~oOo~**

 **Come Undone – Chapter 1**

 **BELLA**

Music blared through my earbuds as I typed away. When a wad of paper bounced off my head, I pulled the headphones out, glancing up to the doorway of my room.

"What, Rose?" I asked my roommate, barely slowing down.

"Jesus Christ, Bella. Tell me you aren't working all damn night," she demanded, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"I have to finish this before Monday." Rolling my eyes her way when she tsked at me, I shook my head and saved my document. "I do believe you threatened to knock me out, kidnap me, and set my ass at the bar in my pajamas if I told you no." I ticked these things off with my fingers.

Rose grinned evilly. "You _were_ listening. Excellent. Get off that computer and get dressed – not that I don't think that sexy-ass bartender wouldn't mind you at his bar like that."

I rolled my eyes again and shooed her away, my cheeks heating at the thought of Edward, but I shook my head to clear it. "I'm sure he gets plenty of offers," I snarked back.

She popped her head back into the doorway. "Yes. Yes, he does, but I'm not quite sure he gives two shits about anyone when you're there. _Get dressed!_ "

"Okay, okay, okay!" I saved my document again and closed the laptop. "Don't worry about me. It's only my grades, my future, my…" I stopped when Rose leaned in the doorway again.

"Isabella Swan," she said through an exasperated sigh, "stop listening to your parents! You're a grown woman, putting _yourself_ through college three thousand miles from that tiny town in Washington, and you'll probably graduate early all summa cum something or other."

Laughing, I held up my hands in surrender. "I know! But their strict rules got me here."

"Right, and notice you're in Florida, all the way across the country from _their rules_ , and you're the palest bitch here. Get dressed or I swear I'll set you down at the Pour House in that!" She gestured to my clothes, and I looked down at my tank top and boy shorts, glaring up at her. "Trust me, you'd kill Edward, so if you don't want that gorgeous man's death on your hands, get something else on."

I smirked and then slammed the door in her face. As intriguing as it was to test that idea, I finally stepped into my bathroom to get ready.

Once I was dressed in something other than my underwear, we followed one another to the best bar on the planet. The Pour House wasn't thumping music or grinding on a dance floor. It wasn't freshmen getting wasted every night. It was more than a beach bar; there was good food, strong coffee, music of all genres, and a slightly older crowd. On the weekends, the music was live.

It smelled like home and comfort every time we went in, and I was damned sure Edward could read my mind as he slid a cold beer my way the very second I sat down.

"Bella," he said, his mouth and tongue wrapping around my name in ways I'd like him to try against my skin.

"Thanks, Edward," I sang back, smiling his way.

"Oh, yeah, you're in good hands here. I'm off to…" She trailed off, waving over her shoulder.

I snorted softly, shaking my head as I faced the man who had starred in my dreams way more times than I'd ever admit to anyone. He seemed to be fighting his smile as he scrubbed glasses in the sink on the other side of the bar. I tried to ignore the rolling of bicep muscles in a black T-shirt as he did the mundane task, but I failed miserably.

I really wasn't sure I'd ever seen a better-looking man. Edward wore his jeans in that low, sexy way that made male models jealous – a fact, since I'd overheard that conversation at the bar about a month ago. His hair wasn't quite dark brown but not truly auburn either, and it naturally fell in that carefree, morning-after kind of way for which most men paid. His eyes were greenish-brown, depending on the lighting, and they were framed with eyelashes women envied – also fact, since most women paid for that length. His smile was stunning, but not always the same for everyone. It was crooked and teasing with his friends and usual customers. It was barely there for the rude and obnoxious. He flirted with the women and joked or talked sports with the men all for good tips _and_ good business.

Edward knew every damn song that came over the sound system. And that was the part of him that drove me crazy. It wasn't that he sang to himself – everyone did that. He sang to himself so softly, it was as if he was trying to hide it or he was unaware he was even doing it.

And his voice was beautiful – soft, deep, sexy – like warmth and silk. At the end of a long shift, there was a tiny hint of rasp to it because he'd been talking all day.

As he was wiping down the bar and leaning close, he sang words about laying around and just forgetting the world. He crooned about the inability to say how he felt. And it seemed to be right in my ear, which spread throughout my body in a slow, heat-filled wave.

I wanted to answer him, tell him I'd lie with him, but I bit the inside of my cheek to stay quiet; it would've been a cheesy and desperate thing. I knew I was staring, so I forced myself to turn around and look for Rose. She had come to see the bouncer. She'd been eyeing him for some time now, and that was why we'd driven separately, just in case she decided to seal the deal with him.

"How's the paper going, Bella?" I heard next to me, and I smiled, turning to see Edward's gaze on me.

I wrinkled my nose. "It's almost done. It's due Monday. I'd still be working on it, but Rose threatened to bring me in my underwear if I didn't take a break."

Edward chuckled, his cheeks tingeing pink. "Sorry I missed that," he teased with a raised eyebrow, glancing over at Emmett and Rose. "She's good for my brother, I think."

My eyebrows raised. "He's your brother?" I asked, glancing between the two men.

"Mmhmm, baby brother." He said it like he'd been watching over Emmett his whole life. "He talks about Rose all the time."

Smiling over at Edward, I nodded. "That's sweet."

" _Sweet_ isn't usually Emmett's MO." Edward's voice was wry and sarcastic as he said that with an eyeroll, but he grinned beautifully when I laughed. "But I suppose we're even," he added softly, almost in a whisper. He gave me a small smile, tapping the bar in front of me when a group of girls came in and sat down at the booth along the wall. "Let me know when you're ready for another one, Bella."

I recognized some the girls from campus – Jessica and Angela. There were a couple more with them I didn't know, and they were blonde with hints of red – sisters, if I'd had to guess. The entire booth was a giggly, flirty mess of female obnoxiousness when Edward approached the table. Rolling my eyes, I shook my head and checked my phone. I was going to teach when I was graduated and write in my spare time. Rose would kill me dead if she knew I could work on my paper from my phone, but a reread, a fixed word here and there, and I smiled when a new beer was set down in front of me.

"Thanks, Ed—" I stopped talking when I caught sight of Edward's face. "What?"

"Drink's from the gentleman at the other end of the bar." He'd said it through gritted teeth, but he smiled anyway. His eyes were dark.

I peered around Edward's tall form, catching a glimpse of the "gentleman." The guy had long blond hair, tanned skin, and a predator's smile.

"Do you—"

"James," Edward answered gruffly, his eyes dark. "Singer in tonight's band."

My brow furrowed as my eyes flickered between the drink in Edward's hand to his face. For a brief moment, I wondered if men understood what women thought about in those types of situations. Naturally, gratitude was supposed to come into play, but then again, I was quite capable of paying for my own drinks – broke college student or not. Then the possible reaction of the guy always plagued me, whether I thought about it or not. Say yes? They might want to chat or _more_. Say no? They might get pissed, which could result in many different and ugly scenarios where my small stature was overtaken by a larger, stronger, more aggressive being.

However, above all that, I wasn't really there to be "picked up." Rose and I came here because the Pour House was different than other bars. It was safer, not a far drive, and it was calmer than the usual bar scene. And yeah, the tall, handsome thing in front of me was probably the reason I kept coming back, which was the thought that had me wrinkling my nose and shaking my head.

"Bella?" Edward asked softly, the harsh demeanor gone as he leaned in closer. "Hey," he whispered. "You _can_ decline. Or you don't have to take it or drink it. I'll take care of him, don't you worry."

I smirked that he had purposefully place himself between me and this James. "All over my face, right? Rose says my face tells everything."

Edward broke into a soft chuckle. "I read you like a beautiful book," he teased with a stunning grin as he reached over and lightly tapped my chin.

"You don't like him?" I asked before he walked away.

"What gave me away?" Edward asked rhetorically but then waved a hand at that. "He's a good singer. He brings in business on the weekends. But he's a shady bastard with girls."

"So…" I dragged out the word. "What direction should I take? Femi-nazi, I can pay for my own shit? Umm, I got a boyfriend? Or… How about I have reached my limit for the night in order to drive home?"

"How about no means no?" Edward asked, rolling his eyes, but he grinned when I snorted up at him. He started to walk away but then stopped, asking, "Wait, _do_ you have a boyfriend?"

"No, Edward," I said through a giggle. "But tell him whatever you want to in order to let him down. I trust you."

Something in his expression changed, giving him a softer look, but he nodded and walked back to James. He set the beer down in front him, saying something I couldn't hear and shaking his head no. James seemed surprised, with raised eyebrows and an incredulous laugh.

 _Your loss,_ he mouthed to me.

"James!" Edward snapped, causing the man to jump and look his way.

Whatever Edward said next was inaudible, but his hands were in fists, braced on the bar top. Biceps flexed, and jaw muscles rolled. For a heartbeat, James looked afraid, but it quickly changed to nonchalance as he slid off the barstool and walked away with a laugh.

Edward walked into the kitchen, and a younger guy stepped out to man the bar. I liked Jasper just fine; I knew him from school, but he wasn't Edward.

"What happened?" I heard next to me, and I smiled over at Rose.

"I declined a beer, and the guy didn't like it."

"Ahh, wounded-ego syndrome," she muttered, taking a sip of my beer. "But why did Emmett get called into it?"

"Did he?"

"Yeah. Who was the guy?" she asked.

"The singer from the band, James."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," she grumbled. "That man can't take a no."

"Well, he'll have to learn," I replied wryly, getting down from my stool. "Restroom break. Save my spot, okay?"

As I made my way across the bar and down the hallway that led to the restrooms, I caught sight of James behind the stage curtain. He'd apparently moved on quickly, because he was currently doing a shot with a pretty redhead. I was perfectly okay with that.

When I was finished in the bathroom, I stepped back out into the hallway right in the middle of a crowd of men laughing, joking, and teasing each other.

"Jesus, guys, watch where the fuck you're going!" I recognized Edward's voice, and a warm hand guided me out of the cluster. His hand stayed on my shoulder, a thumb rubbing my skin softly.

"Oh, my bad. Sorry," one of them mumbled, pulling a set of drumsticks out of his back pocket. He glanced over at Edward. "Sure you don't want to join us, Cullen? It's not the same without you."

Edward smirked, shaking his head. "Nah, I'm good. I've got this place now."

There was a touch of sadness to Edward's face as he told the members of the band to head up onto the stage.

When he caught my stare, he grinned, his cheeks reddening a little. "That used to be my band, but I had to give it up. I needed something more… _stable_."

"This place?" I asked.

"Mmhmm," he hummed, leaning against the wall. "My parents started this place. They're practically retired now. I run it for them." When the music started on stage, I laughed when Edward guided me closer, whispering, "They're good. Listen with me, Bella," he requested softly in my ear, and I had zero desire to say no.

The next several minutes were a test in restraint. I wasn't sure what was better – the music or the person singing in my ear the entire time. Edward was significantly more talented than James, but by now, I was fairly certain I was biased. His body lined up behind mine, and with each whispered lyric in my ear, in my hair, across my skin, I found myself leaning back against him, and his strong arm wrapped around my waist from behind to hold me close.

Words and phrases were sung softly against the sensitive spot just behind my ear. He sang sweet words about feeling my heartbeat with his. He crooned about skin and being naked as his fingers toyed with the edge of my shirt. His voice was sadness incarnate when he sang about falling in love in wrong places at the wrong times.

"You should sing, not him," I told him over my shoulder.

He grinned briefly. "Maybe for you I will one day." He turned me around to face the stage again as continued his singing against my skin.

By the end of the set, I was practically shaking, but I wanted to see his face. I turned to gaze up at him. His expression was gorgeous and needy and sad all at once. His hand cupped the side of my face as his forehead fell to mine.

"Bella," he whispered, swallowing thickly. "Fuck, I want…" He trailed off, his eyes squeezing closed. "I'm not…"

"It's okay," I soothed him, tugging him closer, because now I wanted to kiss him. Or him to kiss me. Or _something_ involving lips and tongues and touching.

"Edward!" Jasper called from behind us, making both of us jump back. The poor guy glanced between us, realization dawning on his face, and he looked to Edward, who was running a hand through his hair. "I so fucked up. Oh, damn! Oh shit! I'm sorry, but I'm getting slammed."

Edward huffed a laugh when I giggled a little. "I'll be right there, Jasper." When he looked back to me, his eyes were sad. "I shouldn't have done that, Bella. I'm sorry. I'm not… We shouldn't."

Of all the things he could've said, I wasn't expecting that, but I forced a smile on my face and nodded. "Yeah, it's all good. I get it." I started to turn, saying, "I need to get going anyway. I have that paper due Monday."

"Hey," he said, stopping me. He placed both hands on either side of my face. "No, Bella, you don't get it, and I…" He paused, glancing over his shoulder when the sound of calls to the kitchen and ice buckets dropping rose to an uproar. "I really want to explain it to you, but…"

"But you're busy, Edward. It's okay."

"It's not fucking _okay_ ," he huffed, shaking his head. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Please, _please_ , can I have your number?"

I was feeling a little raw, a little hurt, but he seemed to be truly upset, so I texted myself with his phone, programming my name for him.

"Thank you," he said, tucking his phone back into his pocket. "Do you really have to leave? Can you stay a bit longer?"

I nodded and walked back to my stool at the bar.

"Hey, I ordered you a soda. I know you'll be leaving shortly. Don't wait up for me," Rose chattered as I took my seat next to her.

I huffed a humorless laugh but hid it behind the straw in my drink. The bar was busy, the kitchen was a constant flow of food in and out, the music was too loud, and the chatter around me was endless and inane. Suddenly, I was done, even more so when I caught sight of Edward dealing with the table full of flirty girls.

I turned to Rose, slipping down off my stool. "Will you sign for my tab? Just bring my card with you whenever you come home."

"Bella?" she asked, stopping me before I walked away. "You okay?"

"Yeah, headache, and…" I waved a hand around with a wrinkle to my nose. "I'm done. _You_ have fun, though."

She laughed, but I left before she could read my face any more. I gave Emmett a small smile on my way through the door but then frowned when the heat and humidity hitting me like a wet slap, despite the evening hour and the fact that it was November. The parking lot was full, with more cars pulling in. The sound of the ocean hitting the wood docks on the other side of the building was soothing and creepy all at the same time. As I made my way to my car, I heard steps behind me.

"Funny, you don't _act_ like Eddie's girl," James's drawl slurred with the drunkenness he was sporting.

I huffed a laugh. I had told Edward to give him whatever excuse he wanted. I hadn't realized he'd used that one.

"I'm sorry it's not up to your standards. I wasn't aware I was being inspected," I countered sarcastically. "Maybe if you worried about yourself, you wouldn't be so easily disappointed."

He came to stand between me and my car door, leaning back against the driver's side. His arms were folded across his chest, his mouth in a sneer, and his eyes were droopy from all the alcohol he'd consumed.

"You sure I can't buy you a drink…or somethin'?"

"No, thank you. Please get out of my way, James."

When he merely smirked at me from his spot at my door, I turned to make my way back inside to either get Emmett or Edward, but the latter was bursting out the door of the restaurant just as I took a step. A hand wrapped painfully around my wrist, jerking me back forcefully.

"You think you're too good for me?" James hissed, smelling of beer and whiskey.

I turned to face him, slapping him across the face at the same time. "Don't touch me."

The sound of fist meeting flesh was loud in the parking lot – louder and harder than my slap had been – and James found himself on his ass with another fist barreling toward his face again.

"Edward?" I called, and he immediately stopped and faced me.

"You okay? Did he hurt you? What did he say to you, Bella?" he asked through heavy breathing and a raspy voice.

I'd never seen the easygoing, always singing, flirty bartender pissed off before, but if he was handsome before, he was glorious now, and I lost the ability to speak, opting to simply shake my head.

"Hey," he whispered, walking to me. "I know you're upset with me, but did he hurt you?"

"No, he just wouldn't let me in my car." I pointed toward the door of the Pour House. "I was coming to get you or Emmett." I rubbed my wrist where James had grabbed me.

I opened my car door and sat down roughly, my feet still on the asphalt. I heard Edward speak something softly to James, unable to distinguish actual words, but James nodded and stumbled off.

Edward knelt in front of me. "Let me see, Bella," he requested almost in a whisper as he gently placed my hand in his, palm up.

"I'm okay." I frowned, starting to turn in my seat and start my car.

"Wait! Bella, please?" he said urgently. "Let me at least put some ice on that wrist, okay? Give me…ten minutes?"

I wanted to ask him why, because the man was giving me whiplash with all the twists and turns of his personality.

"Maybe I can explain my terrible behavior tonight, too. Hmm?" he offered contritely, seemingly reading my mind again – or probably my face. When I shot a look his way, he grinned. "Please, Bella. If I don't explain it right, then you can slap me like you did James. Nice job on that, by the way."

I laughed in spite of it all and let out a deep sigh when I gave into him completely.

His warm lips pressed to the angry red skin on my wrist. "Thank you."

I stood up as Edward closed my car door, and then I set the lock and started for the door of the Pour House.

"No, sweetheart. This way. I have something to show you," he said, pointing to the set of stairs that led to the beach house apartment next to his restaurant.


	2. Chapter 2

**Come Undone – Chapter 2**

 **EDWARD**

"Fuck," I hissed to myself as I joined Jasper behind the bar.

"Dude, I'm sor—" he started, but I just cut him off by holding up a hand.

It wasn't a secret around here. There wasn't a person who worked for me who didn't know about my crush on the gorgeous brunette who came into my bar every Friday night – sometimes Saturdays, depending on her school workload. Hell, even Emmett could tell something was different about me when it came to her.

Isabella Swan, according to her ID. Bella to anyone she greeted. God, she was so pretty and smart and easy to tease. And flirting with her came naturally, like breathing. While I schmoozed people for living for tips, with her it was more, so much more. In another place and time, I would've already asked her out, kissed her, maybe even more, but my life wasn't my own, and despite how badly I wanted Bella Swan, I had to be careful.

"Two Bud Lights, two Killian's – make that _three_ Bud Lights all day," Jasper called out.

I sighed, pulled bottles, and poured from the tap. It didn't take long to catch him up, catch the kitchen up, and when I made it down to the spot where Bella had been sitting, she wasn't there.

"Hey, I'll sign her tab and take her card, Edward," Rose offered.

"What? Where is she?"

"She said she had a headache, but she probably went home to finish her paper," Rose said, her hand still out.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "How long ago?"

"Just now."

"Shit," I hissed, leaving the bar and slamming out the door.

I really needed to apologize. I needed to explain why I was acting like a damned lunatic with her. Just as I stepped out into the balmy Tampa night, what I saw a few parking spaces down made my blood boil.

James. That motherfucker. Not only had I told him to leave "my girl" alone, he'd gone and fucking touched her. Bella had been utterly adorable when I'd brought James's beer to her. Her sweet face had said it all – she didn't want it, but she didn't know if she could or should turn it down. When her dark-brown eyes had landed on me, there was a longing there that matched my own, so I gave her an out with James. Or so I'd thought. Apparently, the asshole didn't listen.

I punched him before saying a word. I punched him again because he deserved it. I was going to punch him one more time simply because it was a fantastic fucking outlet for my frustration, but I heard Bella call me.

Dropping James's drunk ass onto the asphalt, I walked to her to make sure she was okay, that he hadn't touched her – God help him, _violated_ her.

My heart broke a little when she didn't answer me. Just inside, barely an hour ago, this beautiful, smart woman was looking at me like she'd eat me alive, and that feeling was completely mutual, but now she could barely look me in the eye. Damn it, I needed to fix this shit.

"I know you're upset with me, but did he hurt you?" I tried not to grunt out the last part like a caveman, but I think I failed.

"No, he just wouldn't let me in my car. I was coming to get you or Emmett."

Nodding, I sighed in relief that she knew to come for me if she ever needed and that James hadn't truly hurt her. I stood up, walked to James, and snatched his ass up by the collar.

"You're done here. Not even the band will touch you now." I gripped his neck hard. "Leave now, without saying a fucking word, and never show your face here again. I promise, I'll make you regret it if you do." When he scampered away without a word, I knew underneath all his bravado, he was a coward. Bella's slap probably would have driven him off, but it wasn't a chance I'd wanted to take – ever.

Once he was gone, I turned to find Bella sitting in her car. Panic made me break out in a sweat. I really didn't want her to leave, and I definitely didn't want her to leave thinking I didn't want her. I knew I was driving her crazy.

She needed to know the truth about me, and then she could run for the hills.

"Wait! Bella, please? Let me at least put some ice on that wrist, okay? Give me…ten minutes?" When she agreed, albeit reluctantly, I added, "Maybe I can explain my terrible behavior tonight, too. Hmm? Please, Bella. If I don't explain it right, then you can slap me like you did James. Nice job on that, by the way."

I felt like a damn hero when she laughed, but I led her to the apartment building next door to the restaurant.

"Is this…" She trailed off, pointing to the door.

Smiling, I nodded a little. "This is my parents' place. Mine is the one across the hall."

"Does that drive you crazy?" she asked, glancing between the two doors.

"It used to, but now it's a necessity." Before I turned the knob, I took her by the shoulders, slipping up to cup her beautiful face. "Bella, I need to be honest with you. What happened back in the hallway – God, I want…" I sighed deeply, wanting to kiss her so badly, but I bit my bottom lip to stop myself. "I can't just… My life is not my own. It's complicated."

"You're married."

"No! No, sweetheart, but…" I shook my head a little. "It's a long, complicated story, but it's easier if I just show you."

I knocked lightly and then opened my parents' door.

"Daddy!"

A small torpedo landed against my legs, and I laughed, picking up my daughter.

"Fairy baby," I said, nuzzling her sweet-smelling neck. "Why are you up so late?"

"I believe that would be my fault," my mother admitted shamelessly. "Alice was late getting her nap today, so I've let her stay up a little past her bedtime." She reached by me, holding out her hand. "You must be Bella. I'm Edward's mother, Esme Cullen."

"It's nice to meet you," Bella said, shaking her hand and looking to me.

"Bella, this is my daughter, Alice." I nuzzled my daughter's cheek, jiggling her gently. "Alice, this is my friend Bella. Say hi."

Alice waved at Bella, tilting her head a little. A bit of shock crossed Bella's pretty face, but then understanding did, as well. All I'd been saying to her was adding up.

"Hello, Alice," Bella crooned, glancing back to me. "God, she's beautiful, Edward."

"Tank you," Alice said through a giggle. She grabbed both sides of my face, saying, "You stay."

"You…go to bed," I growled playfully against the palm of her little hand.

"You sing to me," she countered, tilting her head.

I couldn't help but grin at her. She was just shy of three years old, and it was me and her against the world most days. I honestly don't know what I would've done without my parents when Alice suddenly landed in my lap about a two and a half years ago. They kept her for me on the long, late weekend nights while I worked.

"Do you mind, Bella? I'll just tuck her in, and then I'll explain at my place. Okay?" When she nodded, I smiled and then toted Alice down the hall to the room my parents set up for her. "Bedtime for fairy babies," I told Alice, who giggled when I put her in bed and pulled the covers over her head.

" _You_ sing. The bad dream song," she demanded, pushing the blanket back down.

I did as she asked, grateful she was still too young to know what most of my music meant. And sometimes, I sang just softly enough she couldn't understand the words anyway. Alice had been soothed by my voice since she was a baby. It never mattered _what_ I said or sang, but it had everything to do with the tone.

As I sang softly about guarding against bad dreams, watching over her, and protecting her in the night, Alice's bright-green eyes that matched mine started to droop, heavy with sleepiness. I lucked out when it only took the one song.

"Love you," I whispered against her forehead.

"You…" she mumbled in her sleepy state.

I walked out to the hallway, closing the door softly. "She's out," I told my mother, who was coming to check on us.

"You want her tomorrow?" Mom asked.

"Weren't you taking her to the beach tomorrow? Just keep her here until I close tomorrow night."

"I figured." She smirked my way. "She's a beautiful girl, Edward."

"Stop. I have to explain things to Bella, so let me go do that."

My heart ached at the thought of the coming conversation. Alice was the most important thing in my world, and I couldn't just bring random women in and out of her life. It wasn't fair to her. However, Bella wasn't _random_ , and I wanted more with her. But not everyone accepted someone's baggage. Not everyone wanted to deal with a kid. It would hurt if Bella walked away, but I would completely understand.

We walked back to the living room where my dad was chatting with Bella. He glanced my way. "Need me to check in downstairs?" he offered, wearing a small smile, because it really wasn't a secret how I felt about the girl standing up from my parents' sofa.

"Please," I answered gratefully, and he left with a nod and a squeeze of my shoulder on his way by. I turned to Bella. "I'd still like to talk, if you'd let me try to explain everything."

Bella smiled and nodded. "I'd like that." She waved to my mother as I led her toward the door right across the hallway. "It was nice meeting you."

I unlocked the door to my apartment, allowing Bella to go on in. I smirked at the change in my life in the last few years. What used to be a bachelor pad now looked like a daycare. An overflowing toybox was next to the big TV and the cartoon DVDs. Little girl ribbons and bows and dolls and stuffed animals were everywhere – the coffee table, the sofa, my piano. Where guitars once leaned against the wall, they were now hung high on the wall so little hands couldn't break them.

"I'll get you some ice for the wrist, Bella. Please have a seat," I said softly, gesturing to the living room. I found one of Alice's gel ice packs in the freezer and came back to find Bella looking at the framed pictures I had of Alice. "If you're looking for her mother, you won't find her…not pictures, anyway. Alice is solely my responsibility."

"I really need a poker face." She turned to face me, wrinkling her nose adorably.

I laughed. "Oh, no… I love that I can read your expressions, sweetheart. Don't change a thing." I smiled at her blush but held up the frozen gel pack. "Hope monkeys don't offend you."

Bella giggled, taking the plastic pack and setting it on her wrist. "I'm okay, you know."

I nodded, shoving my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. "Yeah, I know, but I think I needed an excuse to come clean." I grimaced at how that sounded. "My behavior tonight… I'm sorry, Bella. Sometimes, it's hard to reconcile what I want with the reality that's my life. I was doing okay until you stepped into my bar however many months ago."

Bella smiled softly and sweetly. "Okay, so—" she sat down on my sofa "—tell me about Alice."

I nodded again, nervously pacing in front of her. "A little over three years ago, I was the lead singer in the band you saw tonight. I was twenty-three, single, in a band… Or as my brother called it – young, dumb, and full of come."

Bella snorted.

"Sorry, that was bad. But he's not wrong." I sighed, raking a hand through my hair. "There were small bars and even smaller paychecks, but the parties were huge. They seemed to never end. We played a lot of college bars all over Florida. There was a girl – Chelsea. There were drugs and alcohol – lots of both. It's no excuse, but things happened." I shifted on my feet, shaking my head.

"Edward," she called softly. "It's okay. No one in this room is a snow-white virgin."

I let out a deep breath and went on. "I didn't know about the pregnancy. Neither of us were worried about keeping in touch, if you know what I'm saying."

"Yes. Please stop worrying about offending me."

"One night about two and a half years ago, we're setting up right downstairs at my parents' bar for a gig, and a lawyer shows up with a case-worker from the Florida Department of Children and Families – DCF – and _she's_ carrying a baby." I sat down on the sofa next to Bella. "Alice was born too early. Chelsea had put me on the birth certificate as the father. Apparently, she'd stayed clean just long enough to carry Alice through the pregnancy, but that was as long as she could go, and she just… _left her_."

"Is she—"

"She's mine." I smiled over at Bella. "She's all mine. We tested just to be sure, and we also fought Chelsea for sole custody. She signed her rights over without much fuss. Last I heard, she'd moved to New Orleans, but that was a year ago, so who knows where she is now."

Bella frowned. "How does a mother do that?"

"I stopped questioning it, Bella. I'm grateful she's not a part of Alice's life." I shrugged a shoulder. "So at twenty-four, I became a father. A single father, at that. She's amazing and smart. She was so little at first, which is why I call her fairy baby, and I was paranoid and protective and sleep deprived."

Bella giggled, nodding for me to go on.

"She's my anchor and my dreams all rolled into one tiny little package. And she dictates my life." I said that last part in a whisper. "No more band or traveling or parties. No more random women. I needed a stable job, so my dad let me step in as manager of the Pour House. Living next to my parents went from a curse to a blessing in the blink of an eye. I honestly don't know what I would've done had they not been there for me. And as you saw…they spoil her rotten."

Bella laughed. "Says the man who did exactly what the child told him to."

Grinning, I nodded, sitting forward and resting my elbows on my knees. "I needed to be honest with you. She's my life, and I can't change that, but I also won't force her on anyone who can't deal with it. Am I making sense?" I turned to face her. "Since you first walked into my bar, I have fought and fought the way I felt, but I can't fight it anymore. I'm…I'm…putting the ball in your court, Bella. I want you, but not just a one-time thing, either. I want to see where this goes, but I come as a package deal, and I can't change that."

"I wouldn't want you to change that," Bella whispered, standing up from the sofa.

She set the gel pack down on the arm of the chair on her way to the pictures I had on the wall. She was quiet for a moment, and I was pretty sure I was about to hear rejection. Bella was in her last year of college. She had her whole life ahead of her, and I knew she had family all the way across the country in Washington. I wasn't even sure I stood a chance now.

I leaned forward again to rest my elbows on my knees. My fingers gripped my hair as I stared down at the floor.

"Why were you coming out to the parking lot, Edward?" she asked, suddenly closer than I was expecting.

Glancing up, I smiled to find her right in front of me. I picked up her hand and kissed the wrist James had grabbed.

"You didn't pay your tab," I teased her.

"Pfft, Rose has signed mine before, so no…"

Wrinkling my nose, I nodded. "I know. I just… I needed to apologize. You got the wrong impression in the bar, Bella. That wasn't me turning you down. That was me trying to stop myself from losing control. You have no idea how badly I… But I needed to be honest, and I needed to find the courage to do that with you. I was coming to…"

"So I wasn't crazy back in the bar," she whispered, jerking a thumb behind her.

"No, Bella."

"You wanted…"

" _God_ , yes."

Bella stepped closer, coming to a stop between my legs and asking a question I wasn't expecting. "What if she doesn't like me?"

"Uh, who?"

"Alice!"

I laughed, pulling her closer. "Alice doesn't like naps, green beans, and going to the doctor. That's about all a two-and-a-half-year-old dislikes. She's pretty easygoing otherwise, sweetheart. I promise you, she'll love you."

Bella went quiet again, and I shamelessly took in her pretty face. She was thinking things through, and that was fine by me, because at least the look of disappointment or rejection or hurt was gone from her face. Letting her go back at the Pour House after the band's set had just about broken me into two pieces.

I could see it would be so easy to fall for the girl standing in front of me. So easy. It wouldn't take much. I liked her too much as it was, and she still hadn't said anything. I picked up her hand, kissing her wrist again, and I found myself singing against her skin, a song begging her not to go.

"Bella, please end my suffering. I get it. It's a lot to deal with – _I'm_ a lot to deal with – but you're killing me—"

She cut me off with her lips meeting mine. Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her to my lap and sat back on the sofa, but I held back a little.

"Mmm," I hummed against her lips, pulling back and cupping her face. "Does this mean what I think it does?"

Bella smiled and nodded, licking her lips. "But Edward, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm an only child; I've babysat like once, and the kids were older."

Chuckling, I kissed her again. "That's okay. I didn't know what I was doing either. Hell, I still don't."

She nodded, glancing down between us and back up to my face.

"God," I whispered, trailing the backs of my fingers across her cheek, "you're _so_ beautiful. Earlier, I wanted…"

"What?" she asked. "What did you want?"

"I wanted to kiss you in that hallway. I wanted to see you sitting on my barstool in your underwear like Rose threatened."

Bella giggled, her cheeks reddening a little. "I'm sure. What else?"

"Bella, you can't ask me that," I said, shaking my head. "I've had dreams where you're on my lap like this. Asking me what I want is dangerous. I've wanted _you_ for so long, but I was too scared to tell you the truth." I cupped her face, reveling in the fact that I could touch her, that I didn't have to maintain a professional demeanor or hide behind a lie or my bar. "I want to take you out, spoil you. I want to take both my girls out and show them off to the world."

"Okay."

I dropped my forehead to hers, my lips brushing hers. "I want to kiss you – really, _truly_ kiss you – and not come up for air for days. I want to kiss until we're both coming apart at the seams."

Bella placed her hands gently on either side of my face. Her gaze darted between my eyes and my lips. She went quiet again for a heartbeat or two.

"But Bella, what do _you_ want?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Come Undone – Chapter 3**

 **BELLA**

What _did_ I want? The question swirled around in my head and bounced off my heart about a thousand times in less than a few heartbeats. What came back was a long list of my wants.

I wanted the gorgeous man, whose lap I was currently on, to kiss me – really kiss me – because I could feel him holding back. I wanted him to continue singing softly against my skin like he was doing right then to my wrist, and by now, I was certain he had no idea he was doing it. I wanted him to never, _ever_ stop looking at me like he was right then – like I was the light at the end of a long tunnel. I wanted to get to know Alice, not to mention Edward's parents, but I also knew I would be accepting more than just a _guy_ into my life. Edward wasn't an average guy; he was adulting _way more_ than any _guy_ I'd dated before, and he was raising a daughter. He shouldered all of it all seriously and without question and rather gracefully. This was different and more and so much scarier than merely dating. This could be permanent, and I was shocked at how okay I'd be with all of that.

"Wow, sweetheart," he whispered with a slight laugh as his fingers trailed along my cheek. "You don't have to decide anything tonight. Your face just ran the gamut of emotions."

I laughed, slightly embarrassed, but I knew he was right. "Sorry."

Reaching up, I cupped his face in both my hands and pressed a kiss to his lips. I moaned when he pulled me closer but still didn't give in completely.

"I want…" I whispered when I pulled away from his lips. My eyes rolled back when his mouth slid down my throat.

"You want what, Bella?"

The only sound I could make was something of a moan-groan-exhale combination, and I felt his smile against the soft skin beneath my ear as he hummed a song I didn't recognize.

"Tell me. Please?" he asked, pulling back to look at me.

"You…this…all of it. Everything." I nodded, suddenly nervous, because this was new. This was also serious yet beautiful and surprisingly easy to admit.

"You're sure?" he whispered against my lips as his hands slipped slowly and gently into my hair. "Bella, you've got school, and I'm… This is…"

Nodding, I gave into what I wanted, what we both wanted, and I pressed my lips to his. I knew we'd figure it out. He knew my brutal school schedule, and his was no different with the Pour House and Alice.

However, all I cared about at that particular moment was finishing what we'd started in that hallway. He'd teased and touched me all while singing to me, starting a fire that I needed to put out – or stoke into an inferno, I wasn't sure which would happen.

Lips touched, tongues tasted, and fingers gripped hair. Eventually, what started as a kiss deepened into a total make-out session. My hips shifted over his, and his hands helped me seek friction, but his words were a warning.

"Sweetheart, you gotta… We're… If you're…" he rambled against my lips, grinning as I chuckled breathlessly. "Tell me what we're doing, beautiful. I'm…" He pushed out a heavy exhale, capturing my lips in another searing kiss. He pulled back, whispering, "We can stop. We can do this differently. I mean, I can take you out…f-first." He gripped my hips to be still. "Please stop moving, or I'm gonna… You're going to make me…"

Grinning, I pressed my forehead to his. "I'm sorry." I really wasn't sorry; he was gloriously handsome when he was losing control.

"No, you're not," he said with a rough, light laugh when I shook my head a little. "I want you to stay."

There was a moment were the responsible college student with a paper due soon almost stopped everything. I knew without a doubt Edward would smile and understand, because he knew more about me than I had realized. Or maybe he just paid way more attention than I'd ever thought.

"Stay," he begged again in a whisper up my neck. "I know…papers are due, Bella. I'll make sure you have time, but _stay_. Tonight?"

Placing my hands on either side of his face, I nodded and pressed a rough kiss to his lips. When arguing with Rose earlier in the evening, I would've never guessed that I'd end up here in the arms of my favorite bartender. I would've told her she was already drunk if she'd have told me he'd carry me to the bedroom in his apartment next door to the Pour House. And I would've outright laughed if someone would've told me I'd end up in Edward's bed with its owner gazing down at me like he'd just had every birthday wish come true.

"Damn, I never thought I'd see you in my bed," he breathed against my lips.

"How long?"

He chuckled sexily, but his cheeks reddened a little. He hid his face in my neck. "How long have you been coming into my bar, beautiful? That first Friday you walked in, I was done." He lifted up to meet my shocked expression. "Yeah, like six months. Everyone knows. I never shut up about you."

I had no words for that. None. Though that probably explained Jasper's reaction earlier, which made me smile stupidly.

Tongues swirled and tasted as hands explored and pushed clothes out of the way. Edward lifted up, gripping the back of his black T-shirt and tugging it off over his head. My hands instantly started exploring smooth skin and taut muscles, but I was interrupted when my own clothes were removed. I lost the ability to speak when lips sang softly against my skin _everywhere_.

I caught words like need, love, coming undone. I heard heart and hope. I wasn't sure what song he was singing, but once we were both completely bare and his fingers and mouth found where I needed him the most, I was lost to him.

Edward's mouth was talented in more than just singing. His kisses were deliciously toe-curling, but his talented tongue did things to my clit that made my breathing falter. I came hard, my back arching up off the bed, and when I could see straight, his handsome face was near mine, pressing kisses to my temple as his hand soothed my stomach.

"We can stop, sweetheart…" he said against the side of my head, and I could feel his smile in my hair when I shook my head.

He was still in his jeans when he stood up from the bed to open a nightstand drawer. He pulled out a condom, but I took it from him, setting it aside and reaching for his belt as I sat up a little.

A nervous huff of a laugh escaped him as I popped open his button and slid the zipper down. He was hard and ready and restrained behind black boxer briefs. Once he'd kicked out of his jeans, his hands opened and closed as I pushed his underwear down.

I reached for him, wrapping a hand around his length. Edward's own hands were in fists at his side, and an unidentifiable sound escaped him when I pressed a kiss to the tip of his dick. A string of deliciously naughty curses erupted when I licked him from base to tip.

"Oh, God… Bella, I can't, and you… This… I want…"

I nodded in understanding and backed away a little. I wanted him inside me, too. He gently knocked my hands away and rolled the condom down. There were deep kisses as he slipped inside me. There was a split second of awe when he was fully inside me, and then there were whispers for more, for right there, for faster, slower, deeper. Gripping hands, flat palms, and teasing fingers explored and caressed.

The rhythm became more and more erratic when we were both close. His long, talented fingers found my clit as he begged me to come with him. And we both fell over the edge one right after the other.

Edward's eyes were closed as his forehead pressed to mine. "Don't move, don't move," he whispered in a plea. "I'll be right back."

He stood up, disposing of the condom and walking gloriously naked back to the bed. We slipped under the covers of a bed that smelled like him – soap and cologne and a tiny hint of smoky scent that reminded me of whiskey.

Edward pulled me to him, and we lay face to face in comfortable silence. His fingers brushed my hair from my face, and mine trailed up and down his spine.

"That's it. I can't let you go now," he teased, dropping a kiss to my forehead when I laughed softly.

"Okay," I said in surrender.

His smile was sweet but short lived. "I know you're busy, Bella. I know you're on your last year. I also know your family is across the country…"

"I'm not planning to move back to Washington, Edward. This is my last year, but I was staying in Florida. I already have teaching prospects."

"You're staying?"

"Mmhmm," I hummed against his lips with a nod. "So what do we do about that?"

Edward chuckled. "Have dinner with me…and Alice. I have to close tomorrow, and you have class, but…Monday night? Please? Here. I'll cook."

I could see I'd probably just erased the last concern he'd had. I wasn't temporary. I wasn't leaving. And I was willing to accept that he was a package deal with his daughter. I could also see the beginning of something amazing and easy and perfect.

"I'll bring dessert."

He licked his bottom lip as he grinned at me. "You might _be_ dessert."

I laughed, pulling him to me. Yeah, it was already pretty perfect.

 **~oOo~**

 **One Year Later…**

"Bella, stop!" Alice begged through a laugh as I kept flicking water at her.

"Then be still, silly girl," I told her, scooping her up and setting her on the vanity. "We'll get your hair and teeth brushed so you can go stay with Grandma and Grandpa."

"Daddy's singing?" she asked conspiratorially in a whisper.

"Yes," I whispered back. "Want me to record him?"

She nodded, grinning like the silly thing she was. She was all things fun and sweet. Her eyes were Edward's made over, as was her ability to melt my heart. That first dinner with Edward and Alice had been awkward at the beginning, but it ended up with me tucking my new best friend into bed that night – and every night I could from that moment on.

"Okay, I will try. Sometimes he doesn't let me."

"Yay!" She wriggled a little dance on the bathroom counter as I tried to brush the tangles out of her dark hair.

I kissed the middle of her forehead. "Okay, fairy baby," I started, having adopted Edward's nickname for her. "Go get your stuff to take across to Grandma's."

"Okay!"

She hopped down from the bathroom vanity and ran to her room. I walked to the bedroom that was now mine as well as Edward's. I'd moved in not long after I'd graduated from USF. Rose had waited until then to move in with Emmett, and our lease was up by then. Edward had begged for me to move in. I was practically at his place every night possible, so it only made sense. I'd just started teaching this past August at an elementary school a few blocks away. Everything had fallen into place.

My very strict, very uptight parents had flown in from Washington for my graduation and met Edward and Alice. Shockingly, they'd fallen in love with the two of them. I would've never bet money on that. But Alice was pretty easy to love. She'd been the key. My parents had gotten a taste of grandparenthood. It was all over.

I grabbed my phone and keys, smiling when there was a knock on the door. "Alice, you ready?"

"Yes, yes!" She came running down the hall, and I scooped her up. "Love you!"

"Love you, too, baby," I told her, opening the door to Esme. "Thanks for watching her."

"Are you kidding? My toes are in dire need of painting," Esme gasped, opening her arms for Alice. "You've got to help me, Mary Alice."

"Okay!"

I gave a wave to them both before they disappeared across the hall. And I made my way downstairs to the parking lot. I smirked as I walked up the sidewalk to the Pour House, remembering how Edward had come running outside just in time to stop James, who I never saw again – and Edward had never told me what he'd said to the guy that night either.

Stepping inside the restaurant was like it always felt – like coming home. I waved at Emmett and the new girl behind the bar. Jasper had moved away to Texas. This girl was good, and she was amazing enough to help manage too.

The back hallway was my aim; Edward was pacing back and forth in his office as he hummed softly to himself. I wasn't sure what he'd sing, and I never really cared, but if he thought James brought in business a year ago, then he had no idea just what he did for business. They packed in to see him sing, and he usually only did one set. That's it, but it was enough to drive them crazy.

Edward caught sight of me, and his whole face melted into a happy smile. "Hey, baby," he sang. "Alice at Mom's?"

"Yes, and I'm supposed to ask you two things tonight, Daddy."

"Yeah? I'm supposed to ask you one."

"Oh, boy. Are we being set up?"

He chuckled. "Probably. You first. What's the questions?"

"Well, the same argument as always. She wants a pet, Edward. Cat, dog, fish, hamster…something."

"She's four!"

"She is. She's probably ready, handsome," I said, reaching up to run my fingers through his hair. "She's a smart cookie, and something simple might be okay."

He groaned, wrinkling his nose. "Nothing is _simple_ , beautiful. Everything needs cleaning or scooping or walking or grooming or whatever…"

I laughed, holding my hands up in surrender. "I'm okay with whatever. You're the parent," I teased that last thing, something I used all the time when the issue was a big one.

He chuckled, but something flickered in his deep-green eyes. "I am, but I'm ready to share the job." He held something out for me in the palm of his hand. "That's my question. Marry me…marry _us_ , Bella." He held out the ring, and it sat on a picture of Edward and Alice wearing T-shirts. One said "Marry." The other said "Us."

"We love you," he went on to say.

"I love you both," I barely said aloud.

"Then say yes."

"Okay." It was all I could get out through tears and a weird laugh, and he chuckled at me, slipping the ring onto my finger.

It was simple and perfect, and I kissed him until I couldn't think straight.

There was a light knock on the door. "Ed, showtime!"

Edward pulled back, cupping my face. "You've made me the happiest man, sweetheart. You tell me when and where, and I'll be there. We'll take as long as you need."

"Okay," I answered, kissing him one more time.

Just before he walked out, he turned back to me. "What was your other question?"

"Oh, Alice wants me to record you singing."

His cheeks pinked a little, but he nodded, leaving the office. I followed him out, leaning in the same spot I always did. It was the side of the stage where Edward had made me watch a year ago, only this time I was watching the better singer. I put my phone up, hitting record.

Edward took the microphone in both hands, saying, "This set is dedicated to my girls." He gave me a smile and a wink. "I'm a lucky man."

 **~oOo~**

 **A/N… There you have it. It was a relatively angst-free story. I have a soft spot for a Bartenderward/Singerward. LOL**

 **I need to thank JenRar for beta'ing this as usual. A big thank you to Beffers87 for the stunning banner you can see on my blog. And a huge thanks to my pre-readers – SueBee, DrivingEdward, maplestyle, smusic, and inkedupmom.**

 **On the Mercward side of things… I have not given up. It's not abandoned, but my muse is a fickle bitch. I'm doing the best I can, but it is rather slow going. Until next time… Mooches, Deb ;)**


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